The Professor Layton franchise has been the company’s most popular, drawing 15 million sales worldwide.

The Guild games, which release as compilation cartridges in Japan (Guild01 and Guild02) but as individual downloads elsewhere, have also sold fairly well, with over 400,000 downloads of bite-sized titles like Liberation Maiden, Aero Porter and Crimson Shroud. 50% of these sales came from outside Japan.

Single RPG Ni No Kuni, which was developed in collaboration with Studio Ghibli, has sold 1.4 million copies – that figure includes the Japan-exclusive DS version as well as the globally-released PS3 game.

The Inazuma Eleven series has generated 6.5 million sales, mostly in Japan and Europe.

In addition to new products announced at the event, such as Layton 7 and Wonderflick, Level-5 is also responsible for the White Knight Chronicles series; Rogue Galaxy; a couple of Dragon Quest entries; and more.

The Level-5 and Capcom collaboration was released in Japan last year, and will arrive in the US during 2014.

It will also be releasing in Europe during early 2014.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/08/07/professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-heading-west-in-2014/feed/2Professor Layton may return in a new gamehttp://www.vg247.com/2013/07/15/professor-layton-may-return-in-a-new-game/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/15/professor-layton-may-return-in-a-new-game/#commentsMon, 15 Jul 2013 02:20:41 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=388207Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy was supposed to be the last core entry in the series, but Level-5 boss Akihiro Hino isn’t done with the gentleman sleuth just yet.

According to Japanese reports translated by Anime News Network, Hino mentioned that he’d like to make a new Professor Layton game at Japan Expo in Paris earlier this month.

Hino said Azran Legacy turned out well, and that he’s not ready to see the series end.

If Level-5 does make a new game, he added, it will include new kinds of challenge.

Professor Layton & the Azran Legacy arrives on 3DS in the west in 2014. It is supposed to be Layton’s greatest adventure to date, and is the final entry in the second Layton series trilogy. It will have 385 downloadable puzzles.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/15/professor-layton-may-return-in-a-new-game/feed/1Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies will have 385 downloadable puzzles availablehttp://www.vg247.com/2013/03/09/professor-layton-and-the-azran-legacies-will-have-385-downloadable-puzzles-available/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/09/professor-layton-and-the-azran-legacies-will-have-385-downloadable-puzzles-available/#commentsSat, 09 Mar 2013 19:50:13 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=347677Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies will be the recipient of a new puzzle a day for a full year, along with the addition of 20 standard puzzles. To help you keep track of the puzzles, Keats the cat is returning, and will he will also remind you to complete puzzles you left unsolved in the game. So, while this may be the last game starring our gentlemanly top hat-wearing professor, at least you will have a bevy of puzzles for him to help solve. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies released in Japan on 3DS last month, as we expect it to head westward in either early or late fall, as with previous entries. Thanks, Siliconera.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/09/professor-layton-and-the-azran-legacies-will-have-385-downloadable-puzzles-available/feed/0Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies screens show a chase involving airshipshttp://www.vg247.com/2013/02/23/professor-layton-and-the-azran-legacies-screens-show-a-chase-involving-airships/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/23/professor-layton-and-the-azran-legacies-screens-show-a-chase-involving-airships/#commentsSat, 23 Feb 2013 18:56:41 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=343045Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies, known in Japan as Professor Layton and the Legacy of the Super Civilization A, has been given the screenshots treatment.
Siliconera has posted the lot. The title will be the last in the prequel trilogy for the series, and, sadly, the last featuring Herschel Layton. I’m trying not to get choked up over it, really. The game is due in Japan on February 28, and those in the west can probably expect a 3DS localization in the fall sometime.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/23/professor-layton-and-the-azran-legacies-screens-show-a-chase-involving-airships/feed/0Professor Layton social spin-off heading to iOS & Androidhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/09/05/professor-layton-social-spin-off-heading-to-ios-android/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/09/05/professor-layton-social-spin-off-heading-to-ios-android/#commentsWed, 05 Sep 2012 10:54:33 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=293944Professor Layton and the Century of the Seven Phantom Thieves is heading to Android and iOS, Famitsu reports. It follows Layton as he explores London in search of thieves, and is not to be confused with previously unveiled spin-off Layton Brothers: Mystery Room. More details below.

This week’s edition of Famitsu revealed that Professor Layton and the Century of the Seven Phantom Thieves features both Layton and Luke, and will come with social features that see players exchanging information in order to catch the thieves in question.

There will also be unlockable avatar costumes and items. Famitsu reports that he game will be free and supported via in-app purchases. No release date has been given.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/09/05/professor-layton-social-spin-off-heading-to-ios-android/feed/0Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask gets many, many gentlemanly screenshotshttp://www.vg247.com/2012/08/31/professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask-gets-many-many-gentlemanly-screenshots/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/31/professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask-gets-many-many-gentlemanly-screenshots/#commentsFri, 31 Aug 2012 14:32:51 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=292402Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is heading west in October, and to celebrate the fact, Level-5 has released so many screenshots for it, I lost count. Well, actually, there’s 198 of them, but I digress. The fifth game in the gentleman puzzler series is the next to last game our hero Hershel Layton will appear in, but don’t expect the developers to give up the series’ ghost entirely. Professor Layton And The Miracle Mask releases on 3DS on Europe on October 26 and in North America on October 28.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/31/professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask-gets-many-many-gentlemanly-screenshots/feed/0Professor Layton And The Miracle Mask gets UK release datehttp://www.vg247.com/2012/08/30/professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask-gets-uk-release-date/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/30/professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask-gets-uk-release-date/#commentsThu, 30 Aug 2012 09:48:30 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=291787Professor Layton And The Miracle Mask has been dated for a 3DS release in the UK.

This is the fifth Layton title from developer Level 5 and it launches October 26. It is also the penultimate game in the series. Nintendo’s latest instalment of Nintendo Direct confirmed that Professor Layton 6 would be Layton’s final adventure.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/30/professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask-gets-uk-release-date/feed/0Professor Layton and the Legacy of the Super Civilization A trailer releasedhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/08/29/professor-layton-and-the-legacy-of-the-super-civilization-a-trailer-released/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/29/professor-layton-and-the-legacy-of-the-super-civilization-a-trailer-released/#commentsWed, 29 Aug 2012 18:27:24 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=291545Professor Layton and the Legacy of the Super Civilization A, which will be Herschel Layton’s final adventure and is set for release in 2013, has been give the trailer treatment. A bit of a consolation, though, is that Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask hits the US on October 28. Join us below the break as we take a glimpse at the final adventure staring our favorite top hat wearing gentleman. It makes us a bit misty eyed. Adios buen senor. Adios. Thanks, Siliconera.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/29/professor-layton-and-the-legacy-of-the-super-civilization-a-trailer-released/feed/0Nintendo Direct: New Professor Layton 3DS title for 2013http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/29/nintendo-direct-new-professor-layton-3ds-title-for-2013/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/29/nintendo-direct-new-professor-layton-3ds-title-for-2013/#commentsWed, 29 Aug 2012 11:27:45 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=291385Nintendo Direct is happening in Japan right now, in Japanese. It’s hard to follow, but a new Professor Layton title is on the way in 2013.

The game was shown during Nintendo’s webcast series Nintendo Direct today, along with some cutscenes featuring Layton and his partner Luke. The English game title was not revealed, but it’s not to be confused with incoming game The Miracle Mask.

More as we get it.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/29/nintendo-direct-new-professor-layton-3ds-title-for-2013/feed/0New Professor Layton title coming to iOShttp://www.vg247.com/2011/10/15/new-professor-layton-title-coming-to-ios/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/10/15/new-professor-layton-title-coming-to-ios/#commentsSat, 15 Oct 2011 19:12:59 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=209362Level-5 has just revealed a brand new Professor Layton game that will be hitting the iOS operating system. However, the professor himself will be absent.Little besides the screen below is known so far, however we do know that Layton’s son, Alphendi, will be the star of the show this time around. Alphendi and his partner Lucy are apparently part of the top investigative team in Scotland yard, and will go around solving mysteries by tapping on crime scenes.

Details are scarce as all of the information is still in Japanese, but it’s being called Mystery Room at the moment. Mystery Room apparently began life as a different game in Level-5’s “Atamania” series, but was recently rebranded as a Layton game.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/10/15/new-professor-layton-title-coming-to-ios/feed/0Layton and Ace Attorney Creators talk about their crossover titlehttp://www.vg247.com/2011/09/22/layton-and-ace-attorney-talk-about-their-crossover-title/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/22/layton-and-ace-attorney-talk-about-their-crossover-title/#commentsThu, 22 Sep 2011 08:16:58 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=204383Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino and Capcom Director Shuu Takumi had the chance to talk in detail about bringing Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright together for their crossover title at Tokyo Game Show 2011 giving some insight into the development of the universe-bending puzzler.

At the stage show Level 5’s Hino revealed that he considers himself a fan of the Ace Attorney series and reveals that when Level 5 set out to create Professor Layton they had the Ace Attorney series in mind as a title to beat with the puzzler. As such, he’d wanted to see Layton and Phoenix join forces for some time.

Capcom’s Takumi told the crowd at the panel that he felt that that the idea of a collaboration where characters from each series would meet and work together would be something they’d never seen before.

At the panel the two go into detail about why the game is set in a medieval world, stating that such a world has a ‘chaotic’ trial system which would frustrate and challenge both Phoenix and Layton alike despite them both being intellectual characters. Trials in this title take place via ‘mob’ – instead of cross examining one witness as in the Ace Attorney games the two heroes will sometimes be faced with several witnesses at once all shouting over each other, making them harder to extract information from.

Takumi also reveals that he was doubtful that the transition of Phoenix Wright and Maya into 3D would go successfully at first but now believes the art and animation style settled on for the title fits the lawyer perfectly.

Siliconera has a more fully-featured translation of the panel as well as the full video if you can understand Japanese. Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney is set to be released in 2012 in Japan; a Western release is yet to be talked about at all. We can expect fresh information on the game out of Japan in October, when Level 5 hold Level 5 World 2011, a hands-on event.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/22/layton-and-ace-attorney-talk-about-their-crossover-title/feed/0Professor Layton and the Last Specter video tells the story so farhttp://www.vg247.com/2011/09/07/professor-layton-and-the-last-specter-video-tells-the-story-so-far/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/07/professor-layton-and-the-last-specter-video-tells-the-story-so-far/#commentsWed, 07 Sep 2011 19:53:22 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=201131Professor Layton and the Last Specter comes out in North America on October 17 and Europe on November 21. To get you just as excited about it as I am, Wired has an exclusive video for the title, which give you an idea just who this gentle, top hat wearing gentleman with a penchant for puzzles is and how he came to be. Sort of. Just watch and enjoy.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/09/07/professor-layton-and-the-last-specter-video-tells-the-story-so-far/feed/0Japanese industry impressions of Wii U, Prof. Layton ports a possibilityhttp://www.vg247.com/2011/07/27/japanese-industry-impressions-of-wii-u-prof-layton-ports-a-possibility/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/07/27/japanese-industry-impressions-of-wii-u-prof-layton-ports-a-possibility/#commentsWed, 27 Jul 2011 13:24:34 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=189519Andriasang has translated a number of comments made by Japanese developers on the potential of Wii U.

The comments were made to various Japanese magazines and rounded up by the blog Sokuho@Hokanko.

Amongst the more interesting tidbits is Level 5’s CEO Akihiro Hino, who said that because it will be possible to play stylus-based games like Professor Layton on the handheld tablet controller, ports could be considered.

Yoshifumi Hashimoto, Marvelous Entertainment producer, said that the tablet device could lead to some new ideas, citing the possibility of video from an in-game Harvest Moon television set streaming to the controller.

Capcom’s Shu Takumi said his dreams have expanded as a result of the new controller. The Ace Attorney creator ventured the possibility of using the device to explore a crime scene from a different perspective.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/07/27/japanese-industry-impressions-of-wii-u-prof-layton-ports-a-possibility/feed/0Professor Layton Royale announced as social gamehttp://www.vg247.com/2011/06/21/professor-layton-royale-announced-as-social-game/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/21/professor-layton-royale-announced-as-social-game/#commentsTue, 21 Jun 2011 19:05:22 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=181392Level-5 has announced a new Professor Layton game which is a cross between the popular puzzler and Mobage’s Kaito Royale series.

Professor Layton Royale is collaborative effort between Level-5 and DeNA, and it will be released on Mobage’s mobile portal in Japan.

Players will be able to play either a citizen, detective, or thief.

No further details are known at the time, but we’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear more.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/21/professor-layton-royale-announced-as-social-game/feed/0Professor Layton series ships 12 million worldwidehttp://www.vg247.com/2011/05/10/professor-layton-series-ships-12-million-worldwide/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/05/10/professor-layton-series-ships-12-million-worldwide/#commentsTue, 10 May 2011 10:46:01 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=169642Level 5 has announced that the Professor Layton series has shipped 12 million units worldwide since its inception in 2007. Four titles in the series have launched on DS, with a fifth – The Mask of Miracle – appearing on 3DS. A sixth game is in development, according to Level 5 boss Akihiro Hino.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/05/10/professor-layton-series-ships-12-million-worldwide/feed/3First Layton title hits 1 million units sold in Japanhttp://www.vg247.com/2011/04/06/first-layton-title-hits-1-million-units-sold-in-japan/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/04/06/first-layton-title-hits-1-million-units-sold-in-japan/#commentsWed, 06 Apr 2011 07:09:58 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=161359Level 5 boss Akihiro Hino has confirmed in a tweet that the first Professor Layton title, The Curious Village, has sold 1 million units in Japan since its launch in 2007 for DS. The series has now shipped 11 million units worldwide. Three more titles in the series launched on DS, with the fifth in the series, The Mask of Miracle, appearing on 3DS. Hino also confirmed a sixth title was in development, but didn’t state which platform it was for.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/04/06/first-layton-title-hits-1-million-units-sold-in-japan/feed/1Watch the Level-5 completion ceremony for Professor Layton and the Miracle Maskhttp://www.vg247.com/2011/02/26/watch-the-level-5-completion-ceremony-for-professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/02/26/watch-the-level-5-completion-ceremony-for-professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask/#commentsSat, 26 Feb 2011 16:51:08 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=152069Level-5 held a completion ceremony for Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask in Japan this week, and you can watch what happened below.

The webcast featured sessions with Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, the cast of the game, and an introduction to the game with plenty of gameplay footage.

It’s all in Japanese, but if you are a Layton fan, you’ll want to have a watch below.

The game has officially launched in Japan along with 3DS. No date for the rest of the world just yet.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/02/26/watch-the-level-5-completion-ceremony-for-professor-layton-and-the-miracle-mask/feed/0Professor Layton franchise moves 11.47 million units worldwidehttp://www.vg247.com/2011/02/17/professor-layton-franchise-moves-11-47-million-units-worldwide/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/02/17/professor-layton-franchise-moves-11-47-million-units-worldwide/#commentsThu, 17 Feb 2011 15:52:59 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=149302Level-5 has announced the Professor Layton series has moved 11.47 million units worldwide.

That’s a lot of puzzles, and a well deserved mile marker in our opinion.

To get the public geared up for the 3DS launch of Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Level-5 will host a completion ceremony via a live webcast on February 24, two days ahead of the game’s official Japanese launch.

The webcast will feature sessions with Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, the cast of the game, and an introduction to the new game.

Level 5 has registered a trademark for Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.

Found by Siliconera, the game would be the final chapter in the latest Layton trilogy, which is a set of prequels set three years before The Curious Village, back when Luke first became Layton’s apprentice.

The title will follow The Devil’s Flute, and The Mask of Miracles, which is set for release this fall in Japan, and it’s being suggested that the plot revolves around Layton and Luke heading into the future.

The third Layton game from the first trilogy, The Last Time Travel, has yet to make it outside of Japan.

According to ANN, the first Professor Layton anime movie, released in Japan last year, will get a DVD and Blu-ray release in September for the west.

Known as “Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva”, it was released just before Christmas last year, with the story written by the designer of the game series, Akihiro Hino.

The movie has already been translated into English for a release in Singapore. No more details were given on its western release.

Only two Professor Layton games, The Curious Village and Pandora’s Box, have made it west for Nintendo DS so far, with an additional two already out in Japan. A fifth Layton title, The Mask of Miracles, is in development.

Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino has told Official Nintendo Magazine that the firm has no plans to release Professor Layton on Wii, despite the success of the franchise.

“This trilogy comes to a conclusion with Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel, but we will be releasing the first title of the new trilogy, Professor Layton and the Flute of Malevolent Destiny in Japan,” he said.

“We currently have no plans for a Wii release.”

As long as there’s more for DS, fans of the series will be happy, we reckon.

Level 5 president and CEO, Akihiro Hino, has explained to Wired why it takes so long for Professor Layton games to make it outside of Japan.

Not only do puzzle differences with Japanese linguistics or customs need to be substituted, but some graphical elements need a bit of tweaking as well.

“Like any game localization, it takes time and manpower to update a Professor Layton title, especially the puzzles and any graphical elements that need adjustment,” said Hino. “We all try to carefully manage this process so that there is not such a long gap between releases.

“Of course, we also want to let each title have time to perform on the market before releasing the next game.